Wedding Bells Changing Lives, The Rolla Holla, Saturday, 8.29.09

Our ward came out in multitudes for the harvest season. The long hours weeding out corrupting doubts, overcoming halting obstacles (a barrage of friends criticizing the decision, a gravely sick mother, and financial difficulties), and sewing seeds of faith and happiness have finally paid off. Marcial and Saide were married last Thursday, at 7 pm, and baptized together, as they will remain for eternity.
The ceremony, the talks, and the celebration afterwards were beautiful and well prepared, thanks to a responsive and supporting ward—an essential part of keeping the fruits of all of our labors when we go and they don’t. Seeing the power of effective coordination for a wedding and baptismal service has lit the fire inside of me to coordinate more effectively throughout the conversion process. The work of building God’s kingdom is a great one indeed.
Meanwhile, I made important breakthroughs in my personal organization in the office (I know, exciting, huh?). Planning every day out thoroughly with the top 10 things I need to do to move the work forward planned into specific time slots and carrying forward those I don’t finish has alleviated the stress and doubled my productivity. Small and simple things, eh.
Today we played soccer at our chapel with the south mission again. The heat is back in full force and I got a healthy sun burn. When I came home I gave myself a haircut and sat down here to write you all. This week we do changes, so it will be a crazy one. I love you all! Carry on! Find out who the missionaries are visiting and make friends with them. Maybe even visit them. Even better, make a list of 100 people you know that aren’t members and start taking steps to invite them to develop a testimony (start small, gaining trust, then share your testimony or gift them a Book of Mormon…the possibilities are ENDLESS!). Onward family! I love you.
Elder McCarty

Pics
New Haircut: This is the haircut I gave myself minutes ago. I took this pic between typing letters. I have a sweet picture of the Paraguayan temple on my computer desktop.

Soccer Today: You are probably tired of soccer pics, but I like em. Here is one of me looking huge because I am way closer to the camera.

American BF: President took us out since we worked so hard on the leadership conference through the nights the previous weekend.

Elevator: All of us crammed into a little elevator going down the 15 floors of American Breakfast, the fanciest restaurant/hotel in all of Paraguay, in my opinion. So different from life 3 months ago.

Jump Start: A few weeks ago, the cars battery was having problems and so this was a common scene.

Popcorn Robbery: Elder Polatis’s birthday party and I was eatin some serious popcorn. That is one thing Paraguayans do better than Americans since they eat so much of it!
Vatata Azul: The blue potato (Vatata), is what we call the big blue van. Here we all are crammed in it one Pday going out to play.

Wade House: A going away dinner for Elder Polatis and Elder Davis (who left the office a while back). Hermana Wade always makes us breakfast for dinner with her famous cinnamon syrup!

Rolla Holla! The Eternal Transfer, Saturday, 8.22.09

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why I’ve been called here. What does my Father in Heaven have in mind. What we do as Office Elders is essential, but nothing spectactular. We are kept so busy by the essentials that it feels like there is very little time to make a difference. We always talk about how much it just feels like going home: a job during the day and going out to visit our friends (investigators) at night. We have to fight for our studies and to feel the spirit.
Our family, Marciál and Saide, were almost baptized this week. They see so clearly the happiness and peace that animates their life when they go to church or keep commitments with God, and need to find the courage to make the decision and prepare for a specific day. We had hoped that day could be today. Monday we visited them and proposed the idea and got a mediocre response. So, the plans began. We got the Judge ready, informed all of the leaders in the ward, set plans in place for food, decoration, and the baptismal service. Friday evening they told us they weren´t ready…yet. They had decided, though, that they would in fact be baptized and get married. It seems like the effort and energy that it took to prepare for today was just another step in Heavenly Father’s plan to show them the way. Now we are excited to set an official date and prepare them rigorously for it. As an old, beloved companion of mine once told me: we are no longer solving baptismal doubts—we are now solving eternal family doubts.
Another 6 weeks have passed. In a week and 3 days, our beloved friend and assistant to the President, Elder Polatis along with several other great men of God, will board a plane and fly off into the unknown whisper of a memory that is home; that familiar happiness and love that we can almost feel through flickering computer screens and during brief, hour-long phone calls; the happiness that we preach, of which we testify, and in which we rejoice as we bring it to others—but that we don´t quite have ourselves, at least not in the same way.

Family, I love you and miss you, and I will see you again.

But not yet ;-)
Elder McCarty

one picture:

After the Paraguay classic. Turns out my new comp was a professional Uruguayan soccer player so now we dominate even more...lol.

The one Legged Baptism and an Office Revolution, The Rolla Holla, Monday, August 17, 2009

This week began the revolution. A revolution to change the office and the stigma that surrounds it. A revolution to hunt down and kill false and faithless attitudes in our own minds and hearts, and most of all, a revolution to show our Father in Heaven that we believe his promise that he will “call upon the weak things of the world…to thrash the nations.”
Everybody in the office is now dedicated to flipping the image of an office Elder upside down. It’s funny that the week we all got so excited and fired up in District Meeting, some of the greatest obstacles to working out in my proselyting area would rear their ugly head. Monday we took 2 Elders to the airport to fly home early for school (a trunky-ifying experience in and of itself, not to mention the time that it takes). Then, Tuesday, the day after having that exciting District Meeting, President called us up to talk to us about organinzing our efforts for the upcoming leadership conference for all the leaders in the 6 Districts and 18 or so branches of our mission. It was quite an experience and challenge, but a rewarding and exciting one at the same time, since we did it!
Even though we were slammed here in the office with extra conference preparation duties (working all through the evening Thursday, until 3 am Friday night/Saturday morning, and the conference all day Saturday), we still did our best to work in the area and brought 7 investigators to church as an office and had 2 baptisms. We also achieved our goal of total asistencia in our ward of 100. Wow!
Talking in specifics: my example of faith and dedication despite obstacles, Javier, was baptized this week. The pictures are attached. Needless to say, he was and will be one of my great converts because he is, as my older brother once explained to me, looking forward an not backward. He was once on track to be a Priest in the Catholic church, and a commander in the Paraguayan army. That is…until he lost his leg. From that incident, he lost his military prospects, found himself disilusioned with his church, and even found himself abandoned by his girl. He fell into a cycle of alcoholism and lived for years under its influence. Just months before we clapped outside his door, he had pulled himself out of his addiction, destroyed his self-pity, obtained a prostetic leg and was learning to walk. He let us in out of courtesy, as he would later tell us, but was baptized because of his faith.
I am overcome with happiness this week. I see miles of improvement to be made but praise God for what he has given me. The mission is an unforgettable experience. I thank you all for making it happen. I miss you and would love to hear about your lives.

Have a great week!
Elder McCarty

Me at my desk, makin a goofy face with Elder Dennis, my old Zone Leader.

Montiel Family, once night after teaching them. They are so awesome and one of the most active families in the ward.

The Late Night, when we stayed up until 3 organizing materials and preparing presentations. President giving us some Instructions.

Javier Baptism, I stood in the water behind Javier while Elder Rodriguez said the prayer and we both helped him down into the water.

Stuffing my face by President at the big conference. Good food.

Rolla Holla: (1130) 8-8-09

This week has been pretty good. The office life goes in cycles. Crazy, exhausting work, then I feel like you need to wind down, then I feel like I need to get caught up and just as I start to get on top of things, it’s change week, and it all starts over!
This week, in our apartment we have been enjoying a chess tournament in our down time (which includes 30 minutes in the morning before excercises and 30 minutes at night after area book and before bed). I was doing good, heading towards the championship round until I lost 2 in a row and got out. Oh well, I´m actually kind of glad not to have to spend valuable time playing such a dorky game (ha ha, do I sound a little bitter).
Wise man Elder Frutos has been continuing his mentorship with me. He keeps sending me 1 or 2 inspired Talks selections every couple of days. He also invited us today to go to a class he was teaching at a local university. It turns out it was out of our mission boundaries so we couldn´t go. Thanks to his awesome-ness he offered just to come give it directly to us, the office elders, next week, instead of grouped together with the other 120 students. I´m pretty excited and I´ll let you know how it goes!
I have been remembering a lot more often lately to ask myself, what would Jesus do if he were me in this situation. It is incredible how it changes even the littlest conversations and smallest interactions. Overall, I feel so much more love towards everyone and am a better man and missionary.Elder Frutos taught me last night a lesson that I had heard before, but never thought of in that way: ?If you treat somebody as they are, they will stay that way. If you treat somebody as they can be, they will become it. We need to remember that as we are teaching our investigators.? That truth applies with everything and everyone. I love you all and know you can be great instruments in God´s hands to help others. I pray that you do. I know that you will have more peace and happiness and feel more of the love of God in your own life! Have a great week!

Elder McCarty

023 We allways liked the Joseph Smith tie style, so we decided to take some pics with it.

Elder Polatis, Elder Davis and I right by my desk. Looks like he is showing me something important.

039 Sometimes you just need to take a brake and have a quick, low key office wrestling match.

044 And sometimes you get a phone call from President and he wonders why you are breathing so hard.

051 A pic from way back in Part Your Hair Down the Middle Day. We had to deliver this giant bookshelf and it wouldn´t quite fit in the van.

A few more pictures from Kyler

048 We went to the Expo which is like a giant Paraguayan State fair and this was the section where all of the indians sold their art work. 047 Tie-over-the-shoulder and pondering all humanity pose with Elder Polatis.045 A long distance shot with Elder Haskell and I.

040 The whole gang at Tobatí.
032 All of us sitting atop the wall of the Basilica at Caacupe with the beautiful green Paraguayan hillside.
015 Again inside the Basilica where it tells the story of the magical virgen statue that saved a war-torn Indian people

Rolla Holla! Saturday, August 01, 2009

"A Life Forever Changed, If I Don´t Forget"

How can it be that we so easily forget? Often in morning study, I find it hard to sit still at my desk because I am so anxious to got out and say kind things, do service, and be a charitable person. The hour long study ends, and determining to apply my notes on how I need to change, I practically jump out of my desk, fling open the door, and run out to meet those that surround me, my heart full of good intentions.
But all too often, I forget. That persistently complaining missionary or this draggingly tedious task mutes the desire to be like Christ, and I get angry or sarcastic or frustrated, even if for just a moment. I suppose Christ gave us his example under what might be called “stressing circumstances” for a reason. We too have to be like him, no matter the burden.
As I strive to let his example and atonement change me, I also have to stive not to take myself too seriously. Every once in a while I just have to wrestle my companion or jump on a teeter totter to remind myself of just how much fun life is meant to be; how much joy can be found in the journey. I have to let the little improvements fill my heart with joy, and the big mistakes make me smile.
Elder Davis, the Mission Records and Statistics Clerk, is a good example to me of that. He is a giantly man in stature with a heart to match. He knows his purpose here on the mission, and has a toolbelt full of million-dollar smiles and goofy magic tricks to win the hearts and commitments of the Paraguayan people. He´ll be leaving soon and we´ll miss him.
We continue fighting for our family and for Javier. They are still on for this week. Our focus now is in expanding our teaching pool – spreading out our net. So far we are doing pretty well and hope to have a solid set of investigators preparing for a baptismal date this Sunday. Things are GREAT in the mission and I am happy. There is nothing like watching other people change their lives and letting it change mine.

I love you all so much!
Elder McCarty

014 Me, Elder Vail and Elder Polatis again, I´m helping Polatis up with my shoe.

015 When I realized he could get up on his own I decided to take a sweet rock climbing pick: one among many lost on my camera.

008 Drinking Mate Dulce (a form of the typical Paraguayan drink without the Herb, which is the prohibited part) up on the roof of our office house. Great memories and beautiful sunsets.

005 The part-your-hair-down-the-middle-day that I told you all about. Wow, it was great.

The Rolla Holla! Saturday, 7.25.09

Let me take some time to tell you about the people that surround me. I´ve talked about President Wade and Elder Frutos. Hermana Wade is incredible. She has the gift of appreciation. Like my own indescribably awesome mother, she has a way of making you feel her love and appreciation for you. The sometimes demanding leadership style of President Wade is perfectly complimented by her concentrated love and consistent compliments and expressions of gratitude. The burning desire to serve President well, bordering on fear of dissapointing, is supplemented by the desire to deserve the Hermana´s praise, and pay back her love. The two do a great job of reminding eachother to be balanced, it seems, since the President will often stop himself in the very rare moments of frustration or criticism and remember to give praise or the Hermana to give assignments :-).
Some time last week the Hermana came into the office and sped past my desk before I could look up from what I was typing. I heard her yell from the office kitchen, ¨have you Elders eaten yet?¨ Whether we had or not, the question was music to our ears, and we all shouted no, almost in unison. Within minutes a sweet, familiar scent was floating out of the kitchen on waves of smoke…my mouth starting watering and my mind rang with memories of back porch cook offs and summer night gatherings: we were in for a BBQ! Though a few weeks late, it was time to celebrate the 4th of July. Hermana Wade popped in an audio presentation explaining the origin of the star spangled banner and opened Windows Media Player to the hippy looking waves and explosions view—the next best thing to a fireworks show. President, the Assistants, and us 4 Office Elders sat arround Elder Davis´s desk right outside the kitchen, eating hot dogs, smiling uncontrollably, and feeling patriotic.
With changes came my new companion: Elder Rodriguez. He is Urugayan and speaks excellent English. He is a great missionary. We did a division in my 3rd or 4th change and he taught me the importance of ensuring conversion before baptism. I´m excited to teach with him and we are both fired up to turn the office area into one like any other. We are convinced that our Heavenly Father is willing to bless us for the sacrifice we make to be in the office, especially after we were given it -as an Apostolic promise from our last Area Seventy visit.
Change week was once again crazy, but we let our investigators know (Javier and the Marcial and Saides family are the only ones really progressing right now) so our absence wasn´t TOO big a shock. We returned this weekend and they are all really well and ready for church. Marcial and Saide will be married August 8th and the 3 of them will be baptized August 9th.
We have seen the power of setting goals, as we set out the desires of our heart to a loving father in Heaven and see his help. The other day on a cold humid Paraguayan night, we needed 5 more contacts to complete our daily goals and thereby our weekly goal of doing 7/7 days completing our daily goals. We drove around and when we saw Marcos walking, we felt we should contact him. We flew around the next corner passing him and jumped out of the car so as not to appear awkward. We came around the corner just as he was, about 20 feet away from our truck and hollered a greeting in Guarani. Turns out he is a great guy and invited us over to share our message with him. I know without any doubt, from experience, that God is preparing people to receive his gospel, according to our faith and works. I love to see that happen and am so thankful for it. I am thankful for you, my friends and family, that love and support me. Thank you for everything! I love you all!
Elder McCarty

041 I thought it would be cool to have a goodbye breakfast the last basketball morning of changes. We made a delicious cinnamon syrup and all just dipped: shared syrup like everthing else in Paraguay.
039 This weird animal at the park that just walks around. We think it is a mix between a horse and a wooly mammoth.

036 Our office football team in the Paraguay Classic, jersey´s thanks to Elder Williamson´s excellent design skills. He now went off to Horqueta in the north desert!
029 Hacking our way through the Paraguayan Jungle

McCarty: Elder Williamson and Javier and I looking like tough guys. He is the investigator with one leg who climbed up onto a bus for the first time since his leg was cut off to make it to church! 027 Got to the top and these birds just happened to fly in for the picture. Turned out really cool. Me, Elder Vail and Elder Polatis.